Glimpses of Hope?
I posted a couple of weeks ago about a good day. The reality is, most of the past three weeks has consisted of good days. And even on the bad days, my low point seems to be something much better than the low points that came so frequently a month or two ago.
At first I was afraid to be optimistic. I still am, if I'm honest. But as good day follows good day, we can't help but ask ourselves, "Is this thing going away?" It's too soon to call it. More and more people are seeing me and commenting that I look like I feel better (which begs the question, how awful have I looked for the past few months??). I've had some crazy busy weeks, and I've managed to keep up with everything going on--often without my daily nap! I would have been flat out on the couch a month ago if I'd tried to keep up the pace I'm keeping this month. Yet here we are, with energy to spare in the evenings!
It's not to say I'm back to normal. It will be a long time yet before I recover fully, if I really am recovering fully. Early on some of my doctors suggested this could be a virus or something like it. If that's the case, it could very well be that we're rounding the bend and seeing some improvement. It may also be the case that it will take several more months to regain the strength and stamina I've lost.
This past weekend Cora and I went on a great girls' weekend away with my mom, sisters, and niece. We had a lot of fun activities planned, and I anticipated keeping the pace I've kept recently without any problems. But mid-afternoon on Saturday I hit my wall. I took a nap in the hotel room while they all went swimming, and felt awful when I woke up. I used the wheelchair for the day and took things easy. By Sunday I was feeling a little better, but it was sobering to be reminded that "better" is not yet "well." Still, I'm enjoying the glimpses of normal so completely, and taking the good days as they come. And learning to slow myself down from time to time!
Last week I was up in Canada for a quick visit with my grandparents. While I was there, a friend who is a physiotherapist offered to see me. It was an amazing visit. He made some adjustments, taught me some exercises, and gave me insights no one yet has been able to provide. I came home with some homework (exercises to build strength and stability), a belt to help my hips, and the first glimpses of optimism about my progress and the possibility of recovery. I was so grateful for his help and incredible expertise!
All in all, we have found ourselves encouraged the past few weeks, and cautiously optimistic. There's still a lot of road ahead of us, but as we see glimpses of what could be improvement, we wonder if the road looks a little brighter than what we expected to find.
At first I was afraid to be optimistic. I still am, if I'm honest. But as good day follows good day, we can't help but ask ourselves, "Is this thing going away?" It's too soon to call it. More and more people are seeing me and commenting that I look like I feel better (which begs the question, how awful have I looked for the past few months??). I've had some crazy busy weeks, and I've managed to keep up with everything going on--often without my daily nap! I would have been flat out on the couch a month ago if I'd tried to keep up the pace I'm keeping this month. Yet here we are, with energy to spare in the evenings!
It's not to say I'm back to normal. It will be a long time yet before I recover fully, if I really am recovering fully. Early on some of my doctors suggested this could be a virus or something like it. If that's the case, it could very well be that we're rounding the bend and seeing some improvement. It may also be the case that it will take several more months to regain the strength and stamina I've lost.
This past weekend Cora and I went on a great girls' weekend away with my mom, sisters, and niece. We had a lot of fun activities planned, and I anticipated keeping the pace I've kept recently without any problems. But mid-afternoon on Saturday I hit my wall. I took a nap in the hotel room while they all went swimming, and felt awful when I woke up. I used the wheelchair for the day and took things easy. By Sunday I was feeling a little better, but it was sobering to be reminded that "better" is not yet "well." Still, I'm enjoying the glimpses of normal so completely, and taking the good days as they come. And learning to slow myself down from time to time!
Last week I was up in Canada for a quick visit with my grandparents. While I was there, a friend who is a physiotherapist offered to see me. It was an amazing visit. He made some adjustments, taught me some exercises, and gave me insights no one yet has been able to provide. I came home with some homework (exercises to build strength and stability), a belt to help my hips, and the first glimpses of optimism about my progress and the possibility of recovery. I was so grateful for his help and incredible expertise!
All in all, we have found ourselves encouraged the past few weeks, and cautiously optimistic. There's still a lot of road ahead of us, but as we see glimpses of what could be improvement, we wonder if the road looks a little brighter than what we expected to find.
